Happy Birthday, Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber is my very favorite author. I’ve spent much of this year researching his career; I’m hoping to take a trip to examine his papers sometime in 2011. Surprisingly, then, I don’t have an awful lot to say about his birthday. Instead, I’ll simply quote the master.

“Only second-and-third rate writers consider sf, supernatural horror, sword-and-sorcery, etc. as genres — word games to be played in idle moments at half-speed creativity and care.”

— Fritz Leiber, letter

As someone who’s so far devoted a career to supernatural horror and the sword tale, Leiber’s quote is affirming. It’s pleasant to think that devoting full-speed creativity and overwhelming care to the subjects is the mark of a good writer, as opposed to a dysfunctional obsession.